Anchor assembly



July 14; 1970 K. S. YETT ANCHOR ASSEMBLY Filed Aug. 19, 1968 /2 25 5 40 g; 0 l8 26 g i L i 4, h 4

36 fl 26 ns I 20 30 24 2a 22 q) .J..J'" lqnmmmllll 2\ 22 I i/ Keith Yeti INVENTOR ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,520,269 ANCHOR ASSEMBLY Keith S. Yett, Seattle, Wash., assignor, by mesne assignments, to the United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy Filed Aug. 19, 1968, Ser. No. 753,372 Int. Cl. B63b 21/26 U.S. Cl. 114-206 2 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An anchor assembly providing buoyant underwater oceanographic and acoustic instrumentation equipment with a fixed location and orientation, in the shape of a. square, sharp-edged, inverted, cast iron cup having a plurality of carbon steel eye bolts secured thereto and a plurality of apertures passing therethrough to vent water trapped in the cup during deployment. The edge of the cup along the lip is sharp enough to penetrate the ocean bottom on contact such that the side walls of the cup become embedded in the bottom.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates generally to marine anchors and, more particularly, to an anchor assembly for securing buoyant marine equipment. ,7

In the field of anchoring buoyant marine equipment, a long recognized need has existed for an anchor which does not shift or slide about after settling, even on gently sloping bottoms. In addition, a variety of more sophisticated requirements must be satisfied when the particular buoyant marine equipment to be anchored is underwater oceanographic and acoustic instrumentation equipment wherein the orientation, as well as the position, of the equipment must remain 'fixed. Moreover, because of sensitive and delicate nature of certain buoyant underwater oceanographic and acoustic instrumentation equipment, it is highly desirable that such equipment sink slowly and settle gradually, thereby minimizing the potentially deleterious effects of a sudden bottoming shock.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, one object of this invention is to provide a new and improved anchor for marine application.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a new and improved buoyant marine equipment anchor which does not shift or slide about after settling, even on gently sloping bottoms.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved buoyant marine equipment anchor which resists rotation after settling.

A further object of the instant invention is to provide a new and improved buoyant underwater oceanographic and acoustic instrumentation equipment anchor assembly for maintaining such equipment in a fixed orientation, as well as a fixed position.

A still further object of this invention is the provision of a new and improved buoyant marine equipment anchor which sinks and settles gradually, thereby minimizing bot toming shock.

Briefly, in accordance with one embodiment of this invention, these and other objects are attained by providing an anchor body in the shape of a substantially square, inverted, cup member having pronounced sidewalls and a plurality of apertures passing therethrough, and a plurality of means, secured to the cup member, for securing the anchor body to buoyant marine equipment.

3,520,269 Patented July 14, 1970 ice BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to the drawing, the anchor assembly of the present invention, indicated generally by reference numeral 10, is shown as being formed of a square, inverted, cup-shaped member 12, preferably made of cast iron, having a square, fiat base portion 14 with a generally planar inner surface 16 and outer surface 18, and having four side wall portions 20, each with a generally planar inner surface 22 and outer surface 24. Although the preferred embodiment is illustrated in the form of a generally square shaped cup, it is within the contemplation of the present invention that the cup may be in the shape of some rectangle other than a perfect square or even in the shape of a triangle having three substantially equally dimensioned sides. For the purposes of this invention, the term several sides is defined to mean either three or four sides.

A plurality of apertures, such as five equal diameter circular bores 26, are provided in base portion 14 and pass therethrough. The apertures preferably are symmetrically disposed with respect to the area of the base portion, and in the preferred embodiment there is one positioned in the center of base portion 14 and one positioned at each corner thereof.

As can be seen in the drawing, the outer surface 24 of each side wall portion 20 is disposed perpendicular to flat base portion 14. The inner surface 22 of each side wall portion is disposed oblique to both outer surface 24 and to base portion 14 such that each side wall portion is relatively thick near the base portion as at 28 and is tapered remotely from said base portion to form a relatively thin, sharp edge 30 along the lip of the cup. In the preferred embodiment an angle 5 between inner surface 22 and outer surface 24 of approximately 10 is shown.

Buoyant marine equipment, such as underwater oceanographic and acoustic instrumentation equipment 32, may be secured to cup member 12 by a plurality of cables 34 attached to a plurality of conventional attaching means, such as three carbon steel eye bolts 36. The threaded eye bolts are screwed into a plurality of internally threaded bores 38 disposed in base portion 14 at the vertices of an equilaterial triangle. In the preferred embodiment, the anchor arrangement weighs between 5000 and 5600 pounds.

To minimize the corresive effects of sea water on the anchor, a plurality of conventional zinc alloy anodes 40 may be welded to outer surface 18 of base portion 14, and the entire assembly may be coated with a high zinc dust content galvanizing paint.

In deployment of the anchor arrangement, the water trapped in cup member 12 bleeds out through bores 26 which tends to slow and dampen the descent and settling thereby avoiding harmful shocking of the connected instrumentation. It should be apparent that the symmetry of the bores is essential to ensure level settling. The sharp edge 30 of the cup lip penetrates the bottom on contact such that side walls 20 become embedded in the bottom thereby minimizing sliding even on a gradual slope. The area of base portion 14 is sufliciently large to prevent the anchor from settling past the base portion,

and the weight is predetermined to ensure side wall embedment in the particular bottom material used. The square shape of the cup, once the side walls are embedded, is particularly resistant to rotation. It should be apparent, however, that the body may have a shape other than a square so long as it does not approach a circle. Since the location and orientation of the anchor is thereby fixed, the location and orientation of the buoyant marine equipment may be fixed by using three or more cables 34 to interconnect the cup member and equipment. By securing the marine equipment at three mutually spaced points, rotation of the equipment is minimized.

Obviously, numerous modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in the light of the above teachings. It is therefore to be understood that, within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described herein.

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. An anchor assembly for buoyant marine equipment comprising:

a square, cast iron, inverted, cup member having a square flat base portion with inner and outer surfaces and-with at least five circular apertures passing therethrough symmetrically disposed with respect thereto, one near each corner and one at the center, and

four side wall portions, each having a generally planar outer surface disposed perpendicular to said base portion, and

a generally planar inner surface disposed oblique to said outer surface of said side wall portion and to said base portion, such that each of said side wall portions is relatively thick near said base portion and is tapered remotely from said base portion to form a relatively thin, sharp edge along said cup lip;

at least three carbon steel eye bolts secured to said base portion of said cup member at the vertices of an equilateral triangle; and

at least three zinc alloy anodes welded to said outer surface of said base portion of said cup member.

2. An anchor assembly for marine equipment comprising:

an inverted cup-shaped member having a generally square base portion with an inner surface and a substantially fiat upper surface, and having means defining at least five apertures passing therethrough and spaced symmetrically therearound, one near each corner and one substantially at the center;

four side Walls depending from the periphery of said base potrion, with inner and outer surfaces tapering downward to converge at a relatively thin sharp lower edge, the outer surfaces thereof being generally planar and disposed perpendicular to said upper surface of said base portion, and the inner surface thereof being generally planar and disposed oblique to said base portion upper surface and said side wall outer surfaces, such that each of said side walls is relatively thick at its attachment to said base portion and is smoothly tapered downwardly to said relatively thin sharp lower edge; and

means for securing the marine equipment to said base portion.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 8/1962 Hunter 114206 8/1966 Stimson 114206 FOREIGN PATENTS 2/ 1925 Great Britain. 

